


Walking on Ice

by Rainy_Summer



Series: Tales of Kings [3]
Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alternate Universe - Royalty, Arranged Marriage, Implied/Referenced Cheating, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-20
Updated: 2019-10-22
Packaged: 2020-11-28 08:28:39
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 10,124
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20963507
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rainy_Summer/pseuds/Rainy_Summer
Summary: To be beautiful and perfect, to marry the crowned prince of Icaria: those were the only purpose of Taeyong's life.It would have been easy, had it not been for the appearance of the Prince of Io, who's always trying to make Taeyong lose focus, lose control.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you to everyone who supported Damaged Control and Frozen Heart!!! Here is the last Polarian Prince's story.
> 
> Kudos and comments are delicious, I'll eat them all.
> 
> Thank you!

Through out his entire life, Taeyong had only received two compliments. Beautiful and perfect. 

Although alphas and betas usually present at sixteen and Omegas present at eighteen, there were some old ladies in Polaria who were able to predict what a child would present in the future simply by the looking at the lines on the child's palm. One look at five years old Taeyong's hand and all of them said with certainty that he would be an Omega. The queen believed them because most of the time, they were correct. 

Since then, his training began. 

It was agreed upon by the Kings of both Icaria and Polaria that the first omega child of the royal family of Polaria would be betrothed to the first alpha child of the royal family of Icaria. 

Icaria, by far, was the strongest kingdom on Earth with its rich natural resources and strong military force. Polaria on the other hand, being a frozen land lacked in natural resources. Their strength relied heavily on their strong military force and advancement in medicine. Although Polaria had been a long time ally, being husband to the future King would mean having a way to get more favors from Icaria for your country. 

So, he had to make sure that the first alpha prince would like him. It would be easy, according to the queen. She said that with a face like that, it would be hard for anyone not to be attracted. 

Still, they had to make sure he had no bad qualities that would make his future husband bail out of the agreement. 

They started with preventive measures, starting with not allowing Taeyong to play roughly outdoors with the other children. The queen said that he already looked perfect and that he should not damage that perfection with ugly scars. 

Most of the time, Taeyong was just inside the castle. He was okay with it as it was for a purpose. For his own purpose. Plus, his little brothers, Jeno and Haechan were later born and he never felt alone. At least until Haechan started distancing himself from Taeyong for reasons the latter didn't know. It was pretty obvious which side Jeno picked. The two of them were inseparable ever since. 

It was okay. At least there was Mark. Mark was the prince of Icaria, the person Taeyong was promised to. The queen was right, it was difficult for anyone not to be attracted to him. Since the very first time they met, the younger prince had stared at his face in admiration. 

Taeyong had not felt the same attraction to the younger prince. But Mark was still a child then and Taeyong in early adolescence period. Feelings would change. 

When Taeyong had finally presented as an omega, and Mark an alpha, yet he still felt no attraction to the crowned prince, he came to a conclusion that feelings weren't important. He was going to marry him in three years whether he likes it or not. 

Presenting as an omega made way for additional rules. 

Alpha and beta lords, and some ladies of different lands had the tried to woo him, to ask for his hands in marriage. 

The queen told him to pay them no mind as he needed to honor a promise. Taeyong wasn't a child anymore, he knew better. What the queen really meant was 'they weren't the biggest fish in the ocean'. 

Still, he paid them no attention. His whole life was already prepared ahead of him. 

The first time that the queen ever layed a hand on him was when he found the stash of letters and poems written by his suitors under his bed. He did not write any of them back but he had felt bad to just throw them because each piece were carefully crafted by the author. 

The queen had slapped him then and called him 'a wild omega on the loose' very much like that servant (who she was talking about, Taeyong didn't know).

She called him a disgrace, a slut, a whore. And then she inspected the damage that the slap created on his face.

'You are lucky, the swelling would subside in a while or you would have blown everything off'

Since then, he had been careful. He would not allow himself to be a disgrace ever again.

When an unfortunate incident at the sea happened that killed the King and Queen of Icaria, Taeyong was ordered to travel to the said country in order to show support for the bereaved prince. Haechan had beg to come along to Icaria, the first favor he had asked Taeyong in years. He would have agreed if it wasn't for the stern objection of their parents. 

'You can't babysit your brother. You have much more important things to do. The prince is grieving. Whatever he asked for you, you would give him. It's okay. You will be married anyway.'

Taeyong forcefully swallowed the shame upon hearing what his mother said. It was true after all. Soon, he would be the prince's property anyway. Whatever was to come his way, he had long prepared for anyway.   
♚♚♚

What Taeyong had not prepared for was the chaos and temptation that another prince would bring upon him. 

Taeyong had entertained himself with strolling in the vast floral garden. He had met Mark earlier and though they had spent time together during which he shared words of condolences in behalf of Polaria, the prince had other businesses to attend to. 

What particularly caught Taeyong's eyes were the roses, especially the red ones. He silently admired them from afar before deciding to step closer. Surely, no one would notice if he plucked one, right? If anyone did, hopefully no one would mind.

"Be careful, my prince," a baritone voice warn him from behind. Taeyong looked around until the figure emerged from the darkness. A strong musky scent with a hint of spice filled the air. An Alpha, he observed. A tall and handsome alpha, Taeyong's breath might have hitched at the sight of him. "Those flowers are beautiful but dangerous. You might hurt yourself." He continued before flashing Taeyong a dimpled smile. 

He retreated his hand from where it was almost grabbing a flower. He turned his body towards the stranger and bowed at him politely. He knew he should be wary of alphas who come his way but this person must have been a very important person if he too was allowed to roam the palace's vicinity. 

"I am Prince Jaehyun of Io, " the alpha introduced himself, offering one hand to Taeyong. 

Taeyong reached out to shake his hands. "It's a pleasure to meet you, your highness. I am--"

"Prince Taeyong of Polaria, " the alpha finished for him. "I know."

The alpha pulled Taeyong's hand to his mouth and give it a lingering kiss, his eyes never leaving Taeyong's own. "Words about you travelled the world. Their description paled in comparison to seeing you in flesh."

Taeyong subtly tries to take his hand back and forced himself to smile. 

"That's a very overwhelming compliment, your highness. But thank you. I've heard a lot about you as well."

"I hope they were good things."

When Jeno was eighteen, barely a year ago, he was sent by their father to his very first mission. As the only alpha prince, he would be King one day, it was only rightful that he learn how to be one at a young age. 

News travelled that some Pandoran soldiers were occupying Sayara which was only miles away from Icaria. The threat of espionage and invasion was imminent and Icaria along with its neighboring and allied countries needed to take action. 

Jeno, his royal knights and many other soldiers were sent as representatives of Polaria. The battle took months before ending in favor of the allies. The group of Princes and Knights were then known as the Heroes of Sayara.

Prince Jaehyun was there as representative of Io. Taeyong recalled the story that he heard Jeno telling Haechan then. Never ever trust the prince of Io. He said that Jaehyun of Io was very much of a great fighter as he was a 'great lover', a cassanova, that he kills as many as he beds, and that when Haechan grow up, he talked as if they weren't twins, he should cross out Jaehyun from the list of possible mates unless he wanted an unfaithful husband.

"I heard only the truth, your highness."

The alpha flashed him the dimpled smile again. "If we keep addressing each other with 'your highness' we are bound to get confused. Call me Jaehyun, like all the other princes I am acquainted with does."

"Okay," Taeyong nodded. "Okay, prince Jaehyun. "

'This is taking too long, Taeyong' he thought to himself. 'Quickly find a way to take your leave before you give him the wrong idea by lingering for too long.'

"What does a beautiful omega like you doing alone in the darkness, " Jaehyun asked him. "Weren't you warned that it's not safe to be alone at night unless you want to be prey to predators lurking around ?"

"Then I should probably leave then, " he said, choosing that as an opportunity to leave. 

"You should, " Jaehyun affirmed. "I shall walk you back to your room."

"No need, " he answered hastily. "I do not want to be a bother. "

"I insist," the Alpha answered back. "You would not be a bother. "

"And I insist on going back on my own, your highness, " he said without beating around the bush anymore. Hopefully his message of disinterest would come across clear to the other prince. "May I take my leave, now? "

Jaehyun stared at him intently in an intimidating manner that almost had Taeyong falling to the ground and baring his neck in submission. It was a good thing that he caught the whimper in his throat before they fully spill out or else it would have been embarrassing. 

It was only for a few seconds and the alpha's face broke again to his trademark smile. "Of course you may."

Taeyong bowed to him one last time before turning around to make his way to the castle. He slowly let out the breath that he didn't know he was holding.

He had not even made it that far when a hand grabbed his arms, whirling him around. 

He gasped in surprise, he almost lost his footing but an arm caught him by the waist. The hand that was holding his arms quickly travelled to his nape, pulling him closer until a pair of soft lips touched his own. 

Full lips moved slowly and passionately against his own and Taeyong was too stoned to react. 

When he managed to break out of his shock and confusion, he harshly pushed the alpha away but to no avail. 

When the alpha finally pulled away, leaving Taeyong a gasping mess, he delivered a harsh slap on the other prince's face. 

"Forgive me, my prince. I just had to know how you taste like. "  
♚♚♚

Taeyong ended up not being able to sleep that night. He lied awake thinking how his mother would have reacted had she known what happened. 

She would have been angry at Taeyong for acting like a tramp. Of course she would blame him. Had he not walk alone in the night, had he not speak to the other prince, then the prince of Io would not have been able to claim what was saved for the prince of Icarus. His first kiss. 

Mark was supposed to be his first everything. 

And now... 

'You are an omega on the loose'  
'Slut'  
'Whore'

Taeyong shut his eyes tightly. He should not cry. Crying would make his face red, his eyes puffy. Unattractive. Undesirable. 

Had Jaehyun been an ordinary person, it would have been easy to get rid of him, to issue punishment for disrespecting Taeyong, future king consort of Icaria, but he was a prince as well. A prince who's country is an ally to Icaria. A prince who shared a long history with Mark. A prince who, along with his brother Jeno and his fiance, fought enemies off on the barren land of Sayara.

Besides, what would Mark think of him? Would he blame him as well for seducing a person he perhaps considered as a friend?

Taeyong took a deep breath. He shook his head. Mark should not know or he would change how he perceive Taeyong. He would not risk it. The future of Polaria is in his hands. 

He sighed before checking how he looked in the mirror. There were dark bags under his eyes due to the lack of sleep but it didn't do much harm to his general looks. He was still beautiful, like he was supposed to. 

He made his way to the door. He had to greet Mark and act like a good fiance. For now, he should try to avoid the prince of Io at all cost and save himself from trouble. 

There were three white roses on the floor outside his door. Taeyong almost stepped on them. He smiled before picking them up along with the attached note. According to his very minimal knowledge in flowers, white roses were meant for apologies. Perhaps Mark felt bad for not spending more time with him that he left those flowers there so that Taeyong would see them when he woke up. He read the note. 

'Three roses for three apologies. The first for upsetting you last night, it was not my intention . The second is for not regretting the kiss at all , it was worth the slap. The third is because I cannot promise not to try again. You are too beautiful, too alluring and too enticing for me to keep my lips to myself. Have a good morning, My prince. -J.J.H'

Taeyong crumpled the piece of paper and threw it away in the trash along with the roses. 

'What do you want from me, Jaehyun?'  
♚♚♚

Jaehyun, much to Taeyong's dismay, was always around. Even if Taeyong refused to look his way, he could feel the alpha prince boring hole through the back of his neck with his stare. He shivered. 

Funerals in Icaria were different. In Polaria, after burning the body in the funeral pyre and letting the wind carry the ashes away to the ocean, the bereaved family were to wear all black, the omegas and female alphas and betas had to wear black veil as well, for ten days and abstain from drinking and dancing or any celebratory activity. 

In Icarian tradition, after burying the dead, the family of the deceased were to throw a feast that involved drinking and dancing in order to show the dead that they had nothing to worry about those they left behind. It was believed that the burden would weigh the spirit of the dead down that they would not be able to ascend to heaven. 

Taeyong was initially dancing with Mark, but the crowned prince was taken away by the regent Taeil for some important matter. Since then, he had been dancing with several lords of Icaria and princes of other countries. All of them stared at him in awe but were too afraid to do anything, too afraid to cross the line. They were in the territory of his fiance after all. 

All were afraid except for one. 

"May I have the honor of dancing with this beautiful omega," a baritone voice asked from behind. 

The Lord of Fiora looked annoyed by the sudden interruption but who was he to decline? The person asking was a prince afted all. 

With a final bow, the lord left him at the hands of Jaehyun. 

Big hand found itself at the small of Taeyong's back, the other on his own hand. 

"I am not in the mood for any of your games, Prince Jaehyun," he warned.

Jaehyun leaned closer to him that had Taeyong making a quick glance if Mark was in the vicinity, he wasn't. 

"What games are you talking about?" The other prince asked, feigning innocence.

They started dancing. 

Jaehyun kept tripping him. He was sure of that. Each time he would slip, the other prince would 'save' him from falling by pulling him closer, their chests touching and faces inches away. Taeyong wondered if the people around him were dumb or they were thinking that the beautiful omega prince of Polaria was simply a bad dancer. 

All Taeyong could do was to glare at the alpha while the latter feign ignorance. 

When Jaehyun did it once again, Taeyong was ready to call it a night. But then, he heard Mark's voice from behind. 

"Are you okay?" Mark asked worriedly. 

Taeyong panicked, he pushed Jaehyun away only to trip again, this time to be caught by Mark. 

'Has he been here for a while?' He wondered.   
'Did he saw us dancing?'  
'Does he think I'm trying to seduce his friend?'

"The Prince of Polaria is not feeling well," Jaehyun answered for him. "He has been having difficulties in walking, let alone standing."

'Oh, you cunning bastard' he thought. 

"I keep telling him to rest but he thought it would be disrespectful to your tradition to retire to bed early."

Mark eyed him warily. "You are thinking too much. If you are sick, then you need to rest. Your health is more important."

He was about to protest when Mark turned to Jaehyun. "Can you walk back him back to his room? I would like to do it myself but I cannot leave all of my duties to Taeil. Taeyong looks really pale and I am afraid he would faint any moment now."

Jaehyun smiled politely at his friend. "No problem, Mark. I will take care of him from you."  
♚♚♚

"I know what kind of a person you are, Jeno told me a lot about you, " it wasn't really him that Jeno had spoken with, it was Haechan, but it didn't matter. 

The two of them were walking on the empty hallway that would lead to Taeyong's room. The omega refused any 'help' offered by the alpha as he believed he would most like cause more harm than help. 

"I do not know what you're talking about, my prince. " Jaehyun answered amusedly. 

"I am not your prince. I am not yours." He insisted. "I know what kind of game you like to play with other omegas."

"And they all enjoyed playing my games. They even wanted to play more." Jaehyun answered smugly. 

They were now outside Taeyong's door. He turned to look at the Prince of Io. 

"You are foolish if you think that I would take part in your games."

The alpha stared back at him. "I see your brother painted a very bad picture of me."

He started walking forward that had Taeyong walking backward until he hit a wall. 

"Did he also tell you, " The alpha whispered while leaning into his personal space. "That while I can make alphas and betas scream in pain during battle," he paused dramatically. 

The alpha had him pinned against the wall with one hand, while the other was on his side, moving up and down slowly that had Taeyong squirming. 

"I could also make omegas scream in pleasure."

Taeyong gasped when the tall alpha buried his face on his neck. Hot breath touched his skin and the hand on his waist travelled lower on his hips.

"And they always ask for more," the alpha continued. He felt wet lips pressing on the side of his neck, then to his throat. Taeyong bit his own lips hard to stop moaning. He could already feel his own cock hardening and the slick forming in his hole. 

"And after I give them more, they ask for another."

Jaehyun used his leg leg to part Taeyong's, muscular thigh rubbing against Taeyong's crotch. He gasped loudly. Wet lips found themselves on the omegas jaw, sucking and licking.

"You like this, don't you? " the alpha asked, grinding his own crotch at the omega's. Taeyong moaned sinfully, his own legs turning into jelly. 

The alpha grabbed both of his hips and hoisted him up, Taeyong had to wrap his own legs around him in fear of falling. 

Jaehyun rubbed against him again and Taeyong felt himself get even more wetter. 

Sharp teeth made it's way to his neck, biting sharp enough to bring pleasure and pain but light enough not to leave a mark. He craned his neck in submission. 

"Do you want more? " Jaehyun asked him.

Taeyong lost his ability to speak as the pleasure build up. He could only gasp, moan and whimper at the sensation that the other prince was making him feel. 

"I could give you more," the alpha said, rubbing on to him faster.

Taeyong cried out in pleasure. He was nearing his release. His own hands made it way to Jaehyun shoulder, gripping at it in desperation. 

He was so close. Too close. 

Then the alpha unwrapped the omegas legs from his waist and slowly push him back until Taeyong was standing wobbly on the ground. 

The alpha leaned one last time and give him a chaste kiss at the corner of his lips. 

"I could give you more, but you need to rest. Good night my prince."  
♚♚♚

Taeyong was faced down on the bed. His naked and sweaty body was drenching the sheets and his own juice wetting the pillow between his legs that he was furiously humping. 

He had not done this in a long time. He was thirteen then when the queen caught him pleasuring himself and berated him for doing that. He never seek satiating his own desires after that. 

He knew he shouldn't be doing this, he knew it was improper. But how could he not when the prince of Io left him hanging like that? 

He humped the pillow faster, imaging it was the handsome alpha prince.

He imagined how it would feel like if it was the prince's cock rubbing against his own. 

He screamed in frustration. The friction was not doing enough to take him where he wanted to be. 

He shifted his position, he was now lying on his back. 

He inserted one of his finger on his already dripping hole, he moaned loudly at the intrusion, not anymore used to the feeling. He move his fingers in and out slowly at first, imagining it was Jaehyun fingering him, teasing him until he beg for more. He added another one, he moved faster this time while alternating with the in and out movement and scissoring himself. Just like how Jaehyun would probably do to prepare him to take his knot. 

Taeyong moaned. Jaehyun would probably be huge considering how tall he is. He would rip Taeyong apart, split him open. 

He added another finger inside and he moaned in pain. He wasn't used to the burning stretch. 

One hand reached out to wrap around his cock, he instantly bucked into his own hand. He slide his hand up and down his hard cock, slowly building up the speed. 

More slick pour from his already stretched hole making it easier to fuck himself with three fingers.

He angled his wrist so that his finger could rub against his prostate. 

"Oh god, Jaehyun there, " he moaned. 

He hit the same spot over and over again. 

"Yes, fuck me. Faster please! " he begged, moving his hand on his cock and his fingers inside him faster. 

"Make me come, Jaehyun please, " he screamed deliriously. 

And then it happened. White stream of cum exploded into air, some landing on Taeyong's stomach, some on his face, most of them on the sheet. 

He continued rubbing himself until he finished riding his high. 

He stared blankly at the ceiling. Orgasmic bliss was finally leaving his body and was slowly being replaced by shame. Tears started pooling into his eyes and a sob suddenly escaped from his throat. 

His mother was right. He was a whore. He was a slut. 

What kind of an omega would touch himself at the thought of a man who he recently just met, especially at the house of the person he was supposed to marry?

Shameful. Really, really shameful. 

He allowed himself to cry some more until he grew tired and fell asleep.   
♚♚♚

"Are you okay?" Mark asked him when they were having breakfast. "You look like you cried all night."

"I just miss my family, " Taeyong lied. "This is the first time I have been away from them."

"Is that so? Now I feel guilty for having you here with me." The prince of Icaria said sympathetically. 

"It's okay," he said. "I wanted to be with you. "

Mark smiled genuinely. "I am really grateful to have you here. It would have been lonely without you. You're presence helped me a lot in terms of dealing with my grief. I am lucky to have you as my fiance."

Taeyong smiled through his guilt. 

The familiar musky and spicy scent hit his nose as a figure suddenly sat beside him. 

"I hope the two of you don't mind if I join you for breakfast. I am really hungry, " the prince of Io made sure to catch Taeyong's eyes as he said the word 'hungry'. 

Mark chuckled. "Did the omega you spent the last night with tire you to the point of hunger. "

"You know how they are with me. Always asking for more."

Taeyong squirmed uncomfortably on his seat. 

"Oh, I'm sorry, " Mark suddenly blurted. "We did not realize that you would be uncomfortable with the topic."

Taeyong shook his head and muttered, "I'm fine."

Mark squeezed his shoulder.

"I need to leave. There is something I need to consult with Taeil."

Taeyong nodded and watched Mark as he leave. Then he turned to glare at Jaehyun and then hit him harshly with his palm. 

"You! " he said. "How dare you do to me what you did last night. "

The dining room was luckily empty save for the two of them. 

Jaehyun easily caught his wrist with one hand. 

"Are you mad because I did what I did or are you mad because I did not do what you want me to do? "

Taeyong used his other hand to slap the prince of Io but his actions were again intercepted. 

"How dare you!" he asked again. 

"No my prince, " the alpha stared him down. "How dare you! "

Taeyong gulped. "How dare you make your own actions and blame it on others? "

"What are you talking about? " Taeyong asked. "It was you who was pinning me against the wall last night."

"And yet you didn't push me away. You didn't tell me to stop or else I would have leave you alone. " the alpha stated matter of factly. "And had we ended up in bed last night, you would have insisted that I forced you, would you not."

Taeyong tried to pry his hands from the alpha's hold but to no avail.

"It is you who's starting a very dangerous game. I am not sure if I want to play." The alpha continued with a serious expression. "Let me ask you the same question, Prince Taeyong of Polaria. What do you want from me?"  
♚♚♚

Taeyong was lying face down on the bed, face buried on the softness of the pillow to suppress the sound he was making. 

It was all a blur. He wasn't sure how he ended up in Jaehyun's bedroom. The only thing that he was sure of was the answer he has given to the alpha. 

'I want you.'

The said Alpha was behind him, two fingers moving in and out of him. 

"Jaehyun, please, " the omega begged. "I want you now. "

Jaehyun pulled his fingers out of Taeyong's whole. 

"I'll give you another chance, " the alpha told him. "Say stop and you can leave. I will not bother you anymore."

"You already asked me, " he whined impatiently. "I want you. "

He felt the head of the alpha's cock teasing his rim. "Tell me if it hurts. "

And fuck it did. Jaehyun did not even made it further inside, yet Taeyong was already squirming and crying in pain. 

Big hands caressed both of Taeyong side to sooth him. He felt the alpha lean forward and pressed soft kisses on his back. One hand travelled to his erect nipple, pressing and flicking the already sensitive nub. 

Taeyong gasped and unintentionally pushed back against Jaehyun and he moaned in both pain and pleasure. 

Jaehyun pulled out completely and Taeyong would have voice out his complain had the alpha not pushed his cock inside him again, much further than the first time. 

He repeated the motion until all of him was inside Taeyong. 

He stopped moving and return to peppering the omega's back with wet kisses, allowing him to adjust. 

"You're big, " Taeyong commented. 

"I was told. Multiple times. "

"I thought you're going to rip me apart. "

The alpha chuckled. "Do you want to stop now. "

"No. "

The alpha slowly moved in and out of him, testing the waters, gauging his reaction. 

"You can move faster. "

"As you wish, my prince."

So, the alpha did. Taeyong sinked his teeth on the softness of the pillow, swallowing back the moans that he was eliciting with Jaehyun's every thrust. 

Jaehyun pulled out again completely, this time, to grab Taeyong's shoulder and turn him around so that he's now lying on his back. 

"I want too look at you, " the alpha rasped. "You are beautiful. So, so beautiful. "

Jaehyun pushed inside him again, faster. He held the omega's gaze as he did so, until Taeyong could not hold the intensity of the stare anymore and squeezed his eyes shut. 

Jaehyun leaned forward to bury his nose on Taeyong's neck. In that position, Taeyong's own cock rubbed on the alpha's toned stomach with every thrust. 

Finally, he could not take it any longer.

"Jaehyun, " he moaned the alpha's name. "I'm close."

"I know, " Jaehyun answered him shakily, his own release nearing, "Just let go, love. Just let go."

And with a few more thrust, he did. White come pooled around his own stomach, his hole clenching on the other's cock tighter.

He could feel the knot growing inside of him, giving more pressure to his prostate, triggering another orgasm from him. 

The alpha sighed contentedly, pressing kisses on his neck and lightly sucking on his skin. Too light to leave a mark. 

"What now?" Taeyong asked. 

"We wait until the knot shrink." The alpha answered tiredly, slowly succumbing to sleep. 

"That's not what I mean." 

The alpha hummed in question. 

"You already have your way with me. What happens next?"

The alpha suddenly pushed himself upward and pressed a close mouthed kiss on Taeyong's lips. 

"You really are different, Prince Taeyong of Polaria. So different from all the other omegas I have met before. "

"Shouldn't those kinds of compliments come before sex? "

"Says who? "

"My mother. "

"And you believe everything that she says? "

"Of course. She is my mother. "

Jaehyun groaned in frustration. "Stop thinking too much. Just sleep. "

And he did succumb to sleep successfully evading the guilt that was slowly filling his brain.   
♚♚♚

The event happened again. Again and again and again until Taeyong had to go back to Polaria. Mark bade him goodbye with a heavy heart saying that he would miss him, completely oblivious to his infidelity. 

"I will be staying here in Icaria for a long time, " Jaehyun told him on their last night together. "Political reasons. I just thought I'd let you know. "

It was an invitation, Taeyong was sure of that. 

So he did return to Icaria over and over again. It was easy to get approval from the King and Queen, they thought he was doing them a favor. Haechan looked lonelier everytime he left, and Jeno looked disappointed. Taeyong felt self conscious, wondering if Jeno knew something. But it wasn't possible. 

And when he was in Icaria, his routine was always the same. Hold hands with the prince, then have sex with his friend. 

But their time was already running out. Mark was nineteen and in a few months they were getting married. Mark would become the King, and Taeyong his King consort. 

"Run away with me, " Jaehyun told him as he was getting dressed.

"You are going insane, Jaehyun, " he rolled his eyes. 

"I am, " the alpha affirmed. "I cannot bear the thought of you marrying another man. "

"We knew all along that this is going to happen! " he exclaimed. He didn't want to have this argument. He wanted to keep deluding himself that he has a way out at least until the time completely run out. 

"Do you love, Mark? "

"No, you know I don't !" He exclaimed. 

"The, do you love me? " The alpha looked at him with pleading eyes. Vulnerable. Weak. Far from the alpha who had fought and won great battles before. 

"I can't afford to love, Jaehyun. I have duties. "

"Fuck your duties! For once think about yourself! " the alpha said angrily, face red and tears running down his face. "Tell me that you don't love me, and I will not bother you again. "

Taeyong stared at him. He never saw the alpha this way before. Stripped away of his pride, pleading, naked for Taeyong to take or push away.   
Taeyong knew then that he could never live without him. He could never survive without him. 

"I do love you, " he answered sincerely. 

"Then run away with me to Io."


	2. Chapter 2

"Your sister, Princess Sooyeon has already left for Icaria to initiate a diplomatic talk with their prince, Your Highness, " Junmyeon, a royal knight informed Jaehyun. Sooyeon, his eldest sister was a beta. Although her subgender had forbidden her to sit on the throne of Io, she already secured her place in the palace. With her intelligence and great tactical abilities along with her capabilities to play with words, she became responsible for treaties and peace talk that involved their country. Jaehyun felt ashamed to place the burden on his sister, but what would he say to Mark anyway? 'Hi Mark. At first I just really want to fuck your husband-to-be, nothing personal man, but you know me, I want them all. But, along the way I have fallen in love with him. There. Sorry for taking him away.' He would just put himself into instant doom, not to mention, his own country as well. 

"If worst comes to worst, your highness, our soldiers are already prepared to defend our country. " Junmyeon continued. "The children and omegas were being evacuated to the center of the island for protection. I suggest you go there as well, as the two of you would probably their top priority to capture or to kill. "

"Nonsense, " Jaehyun answered. "I do not let my people fight for me. I fight together with my people."

He was already garbed in his armor, his helmet in his hands. He created this mess, he would not be a coward and use his people to shield him. 

He eyed the omega on the bed. His hair was a mess, his eyes red and puffy and his face red. Too far from his usual well kept look, his perfect persona. Somehow after crying for several days and nights nonstop as the dilemma of what was to come sunk in, he finally ran out of tears. He was just there, sitting on the bed, staring blankly into space. His mind was probably not even here, but somewhere else. It was probably in some place where he could be at the comfort of his routine life, an alternate dimension where he remained an obedient child and a faithful fiance.

The claim mark on the omega's neck was still fresh, still not fully healed into a scar that would prove that he was Jaehyun's and Jaehyun was his. 

At the back of Jaehyun's mind, he knew that Taeyong was probably hoping for it to heal completely, to erase the scar permanently. To remove the reminder that it was them who brought upon chaos on innocent people. 

Jaehyun couldn't help but to be offended. Push and pull. Be brave today, be coward tomorrow. To love Jaehyun enough to be certain, to love him less to keep second guessing. 

He turned his back to his mate and headed to the door with Junmyeon. If worst comes to worst, he would still fight for his love, even if Taeyong was not as willing to do the same.  
♚♚♚

Jaehyun had been sure when he asked Taeyong to ran away with him. He knew what was coming his way. He knew what the fruit of his action would probably be. 

The ties connecting Icaria and Io, and possibly Polaria as well would be severed. 

Blood would be shed, either that of Jaehyun's own, or his countrymen, his loyal soldiers who would be willing to fight for Jaehyun. 

Last, and hopefully the least likely to come true, their nation would be destroyed and it's people who innocently became involved with the crowned prince disastrous love affair. 

What a beautiful disaster Taeyong was. 

He came into Jaehyun's life, smelling like rose and jasmine with a hint of vanilla, enticed him with his beauty, with his mystery. He tempted Jaehyun into unravelling him, bit by bit. He pulled Jaehyun in to find what was hidden behind the mask of perfection. And Jaehyun, Jaehyun indulged himself into undressing him, layer by layer until he finally found what was really underneath. Fire. Fire was within Taeyong. Fire that was caged by sharp edged ice that was piercing him from within. Fire that was frozen for too long that Taeyong had forgotten it was there. And before Jaehyun even realized it, he had fallen too deep. Too deep that he was drowning and burning at the same time. Damn. Jaehyun didn't even like vanilla before, in bed that is. 

He had been curious at first. Taeyong had been an interesting topic among alphas and betas as their subject of desire and then among omegas as their subject of jealousy and envy. 

They said that there was an omega prince in Polaria whose beauty could never be rivalled, that he was a god mistakenly born among humans, that whoever won his heart would be the luckiest person on Earth. 

The words travelled fast and soon, bachelors were bording their ships to go to Polaria and ask Taeyong's hand in marriage. Some of those who did not believe the rumors still joined the competition as well, because some were shallow just like that, they wanted whatever their peers want as well. 

Jaehyun had been shallow as well. He never believe those rumors. He was beautiful, alright, by Polarian standard. Jaehyun had long knew that beauty was subjective. There were nations out there who believed that dark skin and dark hair was the standard of beauty. But then again, Polaria had always been closed off. If it was not for their own weakness as a nation, they would not even associate themselves with their allies. Non-Polarians were below them, they believed, as they were the descendants of the very first people on Earth. If anything, he was sure that it was also the royal family of Polaria who spread them, to increase Taeyong's 'value'. He was betrothed the the crowned prince of Icaria, after all. It was their way of saying that 'there are a lot of people who wanted to have our child but we still honored our promise to you. Now send more support for Polaria, we've been good to you'. Still, Jaehyun wanted him just to confirm if he was really worth the fuss. 

He had first saw the omega prince at the garden of castle of Icarus, admiring the red roses in full bloom. 

He was indeed beautiful, as repetitive as it may sound, but Jaehyun could not grasp why his looks were placed too high above the others. Then again, it was probably because all omegas are beautiful for Jaehyun. 

The prince of Polaria was stiff, that even in a moment where he was doing things as mundane as admiring the flowers, he had his back straight as if a piece of wood was stuck inside his clothing, not allowing him to slouch the slightest bit. 

He had warned him to be careful of the roses for they have thorns, just to get his attention. Jaehyun realized later that it was him who needed a warning to stay away from a rose. A rose named Taeyong. 

The other prince had turned to him. And if Jaehyun thought he could not get any stiffer, he had proven wrong. The other prince had bowed to him cordially, in a well practiced and well trained manner. 

He had caught the others staring at him, admiring his face. He did not comment on that. It was not something unusual for him, he was used to the attention given to him by omegas. 

They had quickly introduced themselves, which had involved Jaehyun pressing a kiss to the omega's hand that had the latter panicking and pulling his hands away, flight instincts kicking in. 

They had briefly talked about Jeno, the omega's younger brother, and the supposed stories about Jaehyun that he had told Taeyong. 

Ah, the battle of Sayara, what a remarkable journey just over a year ago. Jeno was among the youngest warriors they had then, at only eighteen, the other one being Mark at nineteen. He had never gotten to spend a lot of time with the younger prince then. Jeno mostly kept with his own knights and soldiers. He was a bit stuck up and stand offish, Jaehyun had never wanted to linger on the same space with him. For someone so young, the crowned prince of Io had too much blood lust inside his body. It was useful during battle, yet still bothersome and scary. He thought about the probable stories he told, and due to their lack of interaction, he was sure it involved the loud moans emitted from Jaehyun's tent during those night when he could afford to rest and have an omega, sometimes omegas warm his bed. Who would have thought that the stoic prince would be into gossip. 

Taeyong had looked impatient, antsy to take his leave. He had offered to walk him back but the omega declined. He had said no to Jaehyun, like no one else had ever done. 

Jaehyun was an alpha. And alphas always like the chase. 

He had kissed him. Kissing Taeyong had felt like kissing a statue. He had stood there motionless, until he decided to show reaction. Resistance. He had wanted to run away. But alphas like i chase. 

When he had finally pulled away from the omega, he was instantly been greeted by a slap to his face. The sting had hurt a bit, but his mind had not been focused on the pain at all. Instead, it had been focused on Taeyong. Eyes brimming with tears, face red and chest heaving because of both anger and shame. 

The omega had ran away from him. He had not chase him because he was still stoned with his recent realization. A wrecked Taeyong was more beautiful than statue-like Taeyong. 

Jaehyun loved to bring out the beauty on other people. 

Jaehyun had wanted to tease him more. Jaehyun had been walking on a very thin ice when he left the note along with the roses outside Taeyong's door. Had other people found out, had Mark found out, he would have lost his head, both probably. But the thrill of being caught was exciting. He was an alpha. He liked exciting things. 

Such a shame, he had not been there when Taeyong found them. 

He had seen him next on the funeral ball, or whatever Icarians call their tradition. 

Jaehyun had watched as Taeyong danced with different partners gracefully earning the admiration of others. But to him, Taeyong had just looked like a doll. Beautiful but lifeless. 

Jaehyun had laughed silently at the Lord of Fiora when the old guy had to reluctantly give way for Jaehyun. The poor guy had looked really annoyed. 

Dancing had been fun, especially during those times that he would make Taeyong trip just so he could pull him close. The omega's usually neutral facial expression had been painted with disbelief, annoyance and distress. Much prettier than the mask he loved to wear.

What had transpired in the hallway had not been planned by Jaehyun. He had not meant to have the omega pinned against the wall. But Jaehyun had been annoyed as well. 

Yes, it was true that Jaehyun had slept with a lot of omegas, sometimes even betas as well. However, they all came to him on their own accord. He did not lure them with false promises only to leave them after he was done, like what Taeyong had implied. He did not play with them. He had sex with them because they wanted sex as well. 

Fuck Jeno for painting a bad picture of him. Maybe Jaehyun would, had he not been an alpha. 

Before he knew it, he had the omega pinned against the wall. And fuck, Taeyong had responded to his touch. He had moaned in pleasure. He wanted more. 

But Taeyong had not known then what he really wanted. Jaehyun had to pull away because he was not a bastard like that. If Taeyong wanted him, he should say it with words. He should admit it to himself first because Jaehyun would not risk being blamed for something that was not his fault. 

Yet, it was Taeyong who had the audacity to be angry at him in the morning. It was him who had the audacity to to accuse him of playing games, when it was Taeyong who was playing the push and pull game the other night. 

Finally he fucked him, because Taeyong had asked him to. 

He fucked him slow at first, Jaehyun never fuck slow. Taeyong had been so inexperienced, too touch starved, even from himself. Jaehyun decided to make exception, because he was not a bastard. 

Taeyong had reacted at his lightest touch, he gasped, he moaned, every action was so foreign to him. Jaehyun's pride had swell at the thought of being the first one to see Taeyong like that. Naked. Uncovered by his elegant clothing, uncovered by the aura of perfection. Sweaty, burning with desire. A mess. A beautiful mess. 

Ironically, for the amount of times that Taeyong had accused Jaehyun of using others for pleasure, it had been the alpha who had felt used that night.

'What now,' the omega had asked. As if it had been his way of dismissing Jaehyun. It had seemed like his way of saying, 'we finished fucking, now leave me alone.'

Jaehyun had been annoyed. Annoyed and curious at the same time. No other omega had treated him that way. He should have stayed away because he had not done anything wrong to be treated like that. 

But he could not. Curiosity had gotten the better of him. 

They had sex over and over again until finally, Jaehyun had finally stripped Taeyong of all the layers that he was wearing. 

That was when he found the fire. The burning desire to free himself from the chains that were holding him back. The chains? They were the standards forced onto him. The belief that he would only be loved and accepted under several conditions. 

But the fire was almost dying, it would have been long dead had it not been for Jaehyun.

He wanted to liberate him, to cut off those chains for him. But he could only do it if Taeyong would allow him to. 

Maybe, Jaehyun was a bastard after all. He wanted to steal an omega from another alpha. Not just from another alpha, but from a friend, someone who had been a brother to him during the battle of Sayara. 

Mark loved Taeyong. That was true. But he only loved the outer layer, not the real him. He only love the mask, the persona that was carefully crafted by the Queen of Polaria.  
Mark did not deserve Taeyong. Jaehyun did. And Jaehyun would fight for what he deserve. 

Only if Taeyong would allow him to. 

He did. 

So here they were. 

But why did it seem like Taeyong was looking for a way out?  
♚♚♚

The war did not happen and it was not even because of his sister's skillful bargaining skills. 

Haechan, Jeno's younger brother had taken Taeyong's place as the future king consort of Icaria. The tension between Icaria and Pandor was too much of a bigger issue for Mark to waste their Kingdom's resources to wage a war against two kingdoms who were supposed to be on his side in case of war against Pandor. 

But just because the war never happened meant that the war inside Taeyong's head ceased from existing. His mate was lying on the same bed as him, awake, staring blankly at the ceiling. 

Jaehyun felt like he was starting over again. 

This time however, he wanted to be the one who would put back all the layers that Taeyong stripped off of himself. 

Independence, self-worth, self-love. But it was not easy to do so when Taeyong refused to allow him.

For all of his mate's life, he was made to believe that there should always be a price to pay in order to be loved and accepted. In his case, the price had been fulfilling an arrange marriage regardless whether feeling are involved. It was something that is difficult to grasp for Jaehyun, as in Io, they did not do those things. They marry who they wanted to marry, they get married whenever they wanted to get married. 

Now that it all went down the drain, now that the path he was supposed to take without looking back had crumbled, Taeyong was lost. He lost his sense of direction. He did not know anymore how to move forward. 

The Polarian King and Queen had disowned their once favorite child, they had his name erased from the list of the royal family. It was as if they wanted to pretend that the he never existed. 

They had sent a messenger to Polaria to test the waters before he and his mate would come over there as a manner of politely yet belatedly ask permission for their marriage. From what Jaehyun had heard from him, it would not be a good idea for the Prince Consort to step foot on the place he formally called home. 

The royal family wanted nothing to do with him and the people of Polaria had all but cursed his name. As if they had not kiss the ground that Taeyong had walked on. As if they had not been ready to beg to kiss his feet. 

It was funny how people could change in an instant, how fast they could turn from worshipping you to being disgusted with you. 

What was not funny was how things were affecting his husband. 

Taeyong turned slowly to Jaehyun, he moved closer. His arm immediately wrapped around Jaehyun's waist. His husband started pressing kisses on his neck. 

Jaehyun pushed him away gently. He would not do this today. 

Taeyong tried again only to be pushed away over and over again. 

Everytime Jaehyun would stop him, he would become more and more desperate. 

Until finally, Taeyong screamed in frustration. 

Angry tears were streaming on his husband's face. The puffiness of his eyes had been a permanent feature on his face for days. Jaehyun wanted nothing more than to give him what he wanted to pacify him. 

He could not. He should not. 

"Do you not love me anymore, " his husband asked, full of uncertainty, full of doubt. "Am I not attractive to you anymore. "

"I love you so much that I had been willing to wage a war for you. It's the kind of love that would not go easily. I am attracted to the thing about you that are not visible to other people's eyes, the kind of beauty that would last forever, even when you become old and gray."

"Then why?" Taeyong asked him, hands making their way to remove Jaehyun's clothes, he stopped him yet again. "Why are you rejecting me? "

Jaehyun turned and slowly pushed Taeyong back to a lying position, him hovering above his husband. He wipe the stray tears away with his thumb only for more to pour from his mate's eyes. 

He pressed a chaste kiss on his husbands lips before speaking. "You are wrong, my love. You are the one rejecting me."

Taeyong scoffed. "How am I rejecting you when I am offering my body to you."

Jaehyun shook his head. "It is not your body that I want. It is not sex that I want. It is your soul that I am longing for. But it is not here with me. You left it somewhere else." Somewhere in your past, his mind supplied. 

"We started with just sex." His husband insisted. 

"And I thought it grew into something more," he answered disappointedly. 

He pushed himself off the bed, ready to leave the room but a pair of thin frail arms wrapped around him from behind. His mate was losing weight due to the lack of sleep and willingness to eat. 

"Don't leave me please, Jaehyun." His husband begged, Jaehyun did not need to turn for him to know that the other became a sobbing mess again. "You're all I have now."

"Do you want to stay with me because you want to be with me or you just don't have any other choice?" Jaehyun. "Tell me, Taeyong, do you really love me?"

"Because I really do love you," he continued. "I never loved before until I met you."

"Why so you love me?" Taeyong asked. "Is it because of how I look?"

"You're being to over confident about your appearance if you think I love you based only on your looks. You don't look that special. " he joked the last statement. 

The arms that were embracing him pulled away just to push him harshly. 

This time it was him who did not allow his mate to move away from him. He grabbed him by the shoulder to still him, purple eyes looking furiously at him. Jaehyun kneeled on the floor beside the bed, cupping his mate's small face with his hands. 

"It's the fire in your heart that you've been keeping secret." He answered. "It was buried so deep that that those people who were only comfortable with swimming in shallow waters had difficulties to see it. I dove deeper. I found it. But it was frozen, it was almost dying. I wanted to set it free. I wanted to liberate you.

"I wanted you to live without anyone controlling you. I wanted you to live without anyone holding you back. I thought I did. I thought that when we boarded the ship to leave Icaria, I finally succeeded. 

"But you, look at what your doing right now. You're giving me full control of yourself. You're offering me sex as if without it, I would discard you. I do love sex, especially with you. But, do you think my love for you is that shallow? That it was only the surface I want?"

Taeyong shook his head, "No, I'm sorry. It's just my head, it keep telling me things. I'm scared. I love you, too, and I am too afraid that you would leave me as well." His mate explained, cupping his face hit his hands as well. "Tell me what I have to do for you not to leave me."

"I don't need you to do something for me, love. I need you to do something for yourself. To finally do something for yourself. Not for your mother, not for your country, not for me. For yourself. I would never leave you. I will always be with you for as long as you want me to be."

"I want to be with you forever."

"Then forever it is then."  
♚♚♚

Jaehyun watched fondly as Taeyong happily bounced a child in his arms when he opened the door to their shared room. The child had soft platinum hair and fair skin, very much like what Taeyong had. 

"Renjun's already here love. I'm afraid we need to return Chenle back to him."

A lot of things had happened in three years. Taeyong's younger brother, Haechan married the formerly crowned prince, now King of Icaria. Jeno became the King of Polaria after his father stepped down to give way to him. An act that confused Taeyong as his father had not seemed to be a person who would relinquish power that easily. Haechan was almost killed by a servant just after two years of being married to Mark. How the said servant ended up giving birth to Jeno's child, Jaehyun and his mate had no idea. When Jeno sent a messenger to Io, asking for the protection of his 'mate' and his child in exchange for the reinstatement of Taeyong as a member of Polaria's Royal Family's, his husband had been ecstatic to help. According to him, it had been long since Jeno last acknowledged him as his brother and that he would do anything to reconnect their relationship. 

Who was Jaehyun to disagree? Especially when he as well had fallen into the charms of his husband's nephew. 

"So soon?" Taeyong said frowning. 

A small omega emerged from behind Jaehyun. He bowed politely at Taeyong. 

"My apologies your highness," the omega said. "It's time for me to nurse him."

Taeyong sighed and reluctantly gave the child back to his father.

When the door closed, Taeyong looked at Jaehyun with sad eyes. 

"Oh you poor thing, " he quickly wrapped his arms around his mate to comfort him. He knew what was about to come. 

"I wish I could have my own."

After trying and failing several times to conceive a child, they finally consulted the royal doctor who reluctantly informed them that Taeyong could not provide him with children. 

"It's unfair. Jeno never wanted one, but he had one first. Haechan waited for too long and in a few months he would have one. I... I would not have my own child. Not forever."

He smoothed the omega's hair with his finger, waiting for the sobs to calm. 

"Soon you will need to find another omega to provide you a child."

"That would not happen my love, " he reassured. "I have two sisters, a beta and an omega, both of them capable of bearing a child. Let them finish the task of continuing the line of succession."

Besides, Jaehyun couldn't think any other omega could arouse him after Taeyong. All omegas were still beautiful but they lost their appeal to Jaehyun. 

Taeyong pulled away from him, "Promise me there would be no one else but me?"

Jaehyun smirked, "Possessive," he said, it earned him a slap to his chest. "I like possessive. I promise you there would be no one else but you."

There were times when Taeyong would still wake up in the middle of the night and hug Jaehyun tightly, as if even just a small space between their body would take the alpha away from him. And Jaehyun would reassure him that he would not go anywhere. 

But Taeyong had gotten a lot better. He no longer walk stiffly, always worried that people would find fault in everything and scrutinize him for the slightest bit of mistake. He was no longer a statue. He was no longer a doll. Beautiful but lifeless. 

His self-doubts and insecurities would still resurface from time to time. But Jaehyun would happily chase them all away. 

Maybe they would never really go away. Jaehyun was starting to learn to love them as well. They were a reminder of what Taeyong's life was before they found each other, of what they overcome together. They were proofs that Taeyong had been strong enough to break free. 

"You are spacing out," Taeyong commented. 

"Am I?" He asked playfully. 

Taeyong nodded. 

"I am just thinking, " he pressed a kiss on his mate's forehead, "About how much I love you," he kissed his nose. "And how I should prove it you tonight."

He kissed his lips, lightly at first, until the omega opened his mouth to allow Jaehyun to explore it with his tongue. 

And then he was shoved away. 

Taeyong made his way to their bed and beckoned him with his fingers to follow. 

Who was Jaehyun to deny him? He's not a bastard after all.

**Author's Note:**

> [Curious Cat](https://curiouscat.me/Rainy_Summer)


End file.
